Anti-lock device for a cabinet door



March 5, 1957 J. o. FLETCHER ANTI-LOCK mavrcs FOR A CABINET DOOR FiledFeb. 15, 1956 INVENTOR.

Azqgz.

Jws 7a a Frame 'wM-JMZ IIIIIII ANTI-LOCK DEVICE FOR A CABINET DOOR John0. FletchenProvidence, R. I., assignor of fifty percent to Harvey Flint,Providence, R. I.

Application February 15, 1956, Serial No. 565,694

4 Claims. (Cl. 109-635) This invention relates generally to anti-lockdevices and more specifically to means for preventing the inadvertentclosing and latching of a door to a cabinet or the like when someone iswithin said cabinet.

A primary object of the instant invention is the provision of meansadapted to be mounted within a cabinet such as a refrigerating box orthe like which will prevent inadvertent closing and latching of the doorthereto when someone is within the cabinet, said means beingautomatically operable in response to the presence of a person therein.

Another object of the instant invention is the provision of means whichwill automatically prevent closing and latching of a cabinet door whensaid cabinet is tilted or turned to other than its normal,right-side-up, position.

A further object is the provision of an anti-lock device of the abovecharacter which is durable and effective in use, but which at the sametime is relatively simple and economically feasible to manufacture.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered inconnection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings which illustrate the best mode presently contemplated byme for carrying out my invention:

Fig. 1 is a front perspective of a cabinet embodying the instantinvention, a portion of the door being broken away for purposes ofillustration;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevation of said cabinet, the side wallthereof being omitted to better illustrate the parts;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the cabinet interior showing the door thereofclosed in the full line position, and in broken lines the degree ofclosure possible when my anti-lock device is elfective;

Fig-4 is a section, on an enlarged scale, taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3,showing the position of the parts when the door is closed;

Fig. 5 is a section, on an enlarged scale, showing the parts when thedoor is open;

Fig. 6 is a section, on an enlarged scale, showing the parts when thedoor is open and the cabinet bottom wall is in its lower position;

Fig. 7 is a section taken on line 77 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section showing the position of the parts ofFig. 7 when the cabinet is tilted;

Fig. 9 is a section taken on line 99 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 10 is a bottom view of the retaining plate which forms a part of myinvention;

Fig. 11 is a section taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 10; and

Fig. 12 is a section taken on line 12--12 of Fig. 10.

It has been found desirable to provide means for preventing theinadvertent closure of a cabinet door or the like when someone is insidethe cabinet. More specifically, refrigerating boxes and the like arenormally of the selflatching type and most generally are provided withno means for the opening thereof from within the box. Accordingly, itnot infrequently happens that someone 2,783,722 r] P a'tentedMar. 5,-1957 finds it necessary to go inside such a box, and in such a situationthe possibility exists that the door may close accidentally or else itmay be pushed closed by another person who happens by and is ignorant ofthe fact that someone is inside the box. No matter how it happens,however, the closing of the door in a situation such as this can havedisastrous consequences for the person unknowingly trapped within.Furthermore, it is a well-known fact that old, discarded ice-boxes andthe like form an attractive nuisance for small children, who areinclined to climb inside during the course of their play. if the dooraccidentally happens to close, suffocation is a likely consequenceshould the child not be discovered in time.

Heretofore, attempts directed at the overcoming of this problem have alltaken the appoach of providing means within the cabinet for unlatchingthe door. Such attempts has proven largely unsuccessful, however, due tothe fact that the provision of such means destroys to a large degree theair-tightness of the box, an important feature where refrigerating boxesare concerned. Furthermore, nothing has been developed that is foolproofin operation or practical to put in use.

The instant invention takes an entirely diflerent approach to theproblem. Instead of providing unlatching means within the cabinet, Ihave provided means for preventing the closing and latching of thecabinet door when a predetermined weight bears on the cabinet floor. Ihave further provided gravity actuated means for preventing the closingof the cabinet door when the cabinet is in other than its uprightposition, the thong-ht here being that should a child climb into adiscarded ice-box or the like that might be lying on its side, the doorstill will be incapable of closing and latching, even though no weightis now disposed on the floor.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown generally at 10 a cabinethaving a hinged door 12 and a conventional self-latching handle 14. Thecabinet 1% forms a complete enclosure, it being understood that myinvention is of particular value in connection with ice-boxes and thelike, although the structure hereinafter to be described could well beadapted to any cabinet having a movable closure associated therewith.

Overlying the inner base 16 of the cabinet 10 is a bottom wall 18,supported at its rear edge by a transversely extending member 20 and atits front end by an assembly generally designated at 22. As willhereinafter be explained more fully, the assembly 22 is collapsible to alimited degree whereby bottom wall 18 is downwardly movable responsiveto a predetermined downward force, it being understood that said bottomwall will actually pivot counterclockwise (note Fig. 2), member 20acting as a fulcrum.

The assembly 22 comprises a substantially rectangular housing secured toand depending from the bottom wall 18, which housing comprises sidewalls 24, a rear wall 26, and a front wall 28 which extends completelyacross the front edge of bottom wall 18, as will be seen most clearly inFig. 1. Bottom wall 18 further is provided with a downwardly extendinglug 30, the function of which will hereinafter be made apparent, whileside walls 24 are each provided with a pair of elongated slots 32, andfront wall 28 has therein a centrally disposed notch 34 extendingupwardly from it lower edge.

Mounted on base 16 is a rectangular plate 36, the dimensions of whichare such that it may be encompassed by the depending walls 24, 26 and28. The plate 36 is provided with built-up side portions 38 which carryoutwardly extending studs or screws 40, the studs 40 passing through theslots 32 of walls 24. Resilient means such as coil springs 42 normallyurge the bottom wall 18 to its uppermost position (Figs. 2, 4 and 5),the limit of said upward movement being defined by studs 40 and slots'32. When bottom wall 18 is in its uppermost position, the lower edgesof depending walls 24, 26 and 28 are in spaced relation to base 16.

Plate 36 has slidably mounted thereon abutment means 44 in the form of areciprocal plunger, which plunger passes through notch 34 in front wall28 and is resiliently biased to its extended position (Figs. to 8) bymeans of a spring 46. Plunger 44 is reciprocally slidable in acomplementary trackway 47 provided in the plate 36, and is maintained insaid trackway by means of a retaining plate 43 which is mountedthereover by any desirable means, such as screws 50 or the like. Plunger44 is provided with an enlarged portion 52 which coacts with trackway 47to limit its outward movement, and said enlarged portion has formedtherein on its top surface a laterally extending groove 54. As will beapparent from Figs. 5 to 7, groove 54 and depending lug 30 are-insubstantial alignment when the plunger 44 is in its outermost position.Also, it will be noted that when bottom wall 18 is in its uppermostposition (Figs. 4 and 5), the lower end of depending lug 36 is slightlyabove the upper surface of the plunger 44. It will further be noted thatsaid depending lug is located slightly forward of the front edge ofretaining plate 48.

The operation of my invention is as follows. Upon the opening of door12, abutment 44 will be moved to its extended position by means ofspring 46, Figs. 5, 7 and 8. I

In normal use, closing of door 12 will force abutment 44 rearwardlyagainst the action of its spring, enabling the door to close completelyand latch. If after opening the door, however, a person should happen tostep inside the cabinet onto the bottom wall 18 thereof, the excessiveweight thereon would cause the springs 42 to compress whereupon wall 18would move downwardly to its lowermost position, Fig. 6. In thisposition lug enters into groove 54 and locks the abutment 44 indoor-blocking position, whereupon the door cannot close and latch untilthe weight is removed from the wall 18. It will be understood thatsprings 42 are calibrated to withstand weights encountered in normal usewithout compressing, and that only upon application of an excessiveweight will the wall 18 move downwardly to locking position.

It has also been found desirable to provide, in accordance with theinstant invention, means for preventing closing of the door 2 when thecabinet is in other than its upright position. Accordingly, trackway 47is pro vided with a pair of oppositely disposed angular channels 56, incommunication therewith (Figs. 7 and 8), each of which has positionedtherein a metal ball or the like 523, P

said balls being maintained within their respective channels byretaining plate 48. As shown at. 60 in Fig. 9, the bottom of channels 56are inclined slightly away from trackway 47 whereby to insure that whenthe cabinet 1t) is upright, the balls 58 will remain in the positionshown in Fig. 7 and not interfere with the normal operation of the partsas aforedescribed. Should, however, the cabinet be tilted, or placed onits side or back, at least one of the balls 58 will roll down intotrackway 47 behind enlarged 7 portion 52 of plunger 44, note Fig. 8,whereby to maintain said plunger in door-blocking position.

Means are also provided for preventing closing and latching of door 12should the cabinet be placed upside down. In this respect, the innersurface 62 of retaining plate 48 is provided with channel means 64formed therein, said channel comprising oppositely disposed angularportions 66, in substantial alignment with channels 56, and atransversely extending central portion 68. As shown in Fig. ll, centralportion 68 inclines toward its center, while portions 66 also inclineinwardly (Fig. 12). Thus if the cabinet ltl should be turned upsidedown, the balls will engage channel 64, and due to the inclinationthereof, will gravitate into trackway 47 and lodge behind portion 52 ofplunger 44, whereby to lock the latter against rearward movement.

While there is shown and described 'herein certain specific structureembodying the invention, it will be manitest to those skilled in the artthat various modifications and rearrangements of the parts may be madewithout departing from the spirit and scope of the underlying inventiveconcept and that the same is not limited to the particular forms hereinshown and described except insofar as indicated by the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cabinet having a door movable from an open to a closed position,an abutment mounted in said cabinet and movable into the path of closingmovement of said door to block the same against closing, and means forlocking said abutment in its door-blocking position, said meanscomprising a plurality of roller elements each movable iuto lockingengagement with said abutment to positively maintain it'in door-blockingposition, and trackways for defining the movement of said elements, saidmovement being gravity actuated responsive to tilting or turning of thecabinet from its normal upright position.

2. In the cabinet of claim 1, said roller elements comprising balls.

3. In the cabinet of claim 2, said trackways having inclined portionsfor insuring gravitation of at least one of said balls to abutmentlocking position whenever the cabinet is in other than upright position.

4. In a cabinet having a door movable from an open to a closed position,a reciprocal plunger mounted in said cabinet and movable into the pathof closing movement of said door to block the same against closing, saidplunger having a pair of oppositely disposed lateral extensions, springmeans normally urging said plunger to its doorblocking position, andmeans for locking said plunger in said door-blocking position, saidmeans comprising a plurality of roller elements each movable to aposition behind said plunger lateral extensions when the plunger is indoor-blocking position whereby to positively maintain the plunger insaid position, and trackways having inclined portions for guiding themovement of said elements, said movement being gravity actuatedresponsive to tilting or turning of the cabinet from its normal uprightposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,733,090 Coplen Ian. 31, 1956

